Good News From Park Cadot!

With the blessings and agreement of both sets of parents and the Director/Pastor of Park Cadot #1, Jean-Wendy and Yolanda will both be going to Port-au-Prince.

Everyone is in agreement that both children need to leave the Camp to have their serious medical and nutritional needs addressed. Their present situations in the Camp are unacceptable.

We arranged for transportation this morning for Yolanda and her mother. They were to leave at 4 AM.A motorcycle chauffeur was to take Yolanda and her mother the first 20 miles up the mountain road to a village called Thiotte. From Thiotte they will take a truck further up the mountains through Haiti’s green and lush Pine Forest and then course down to Port-au-Prince. The actual travel time is about six hours. These roads are very rough and very dangerous the entire trip.

Yesterday, I met with Jean-Wendy’s father for the first time. His name is Jean-Marc. Jean-Wendy’s mother Edeline was also present. Jean-Marc lives in Park Cadot #2 which is one mile south of Park Cadot #1.

I presented to Jean-Marc the reasons I thought Jean-Wendy, Edeline, and two of Jean-Wendy’s siblings should leave the camp. I held my breath and wondered what he would say. Haitian men have the final say regarding their children. (Yesterday Edeline told me she wanted to leave with the kids. But she said she had to listen to Jean-Marc’s decision.)

Jean-Marc seemed like a very gentle man. He looked at me and smiled and said, “I would be very happy if they would leave.” And he kept repeating this sentence over and over.

During our discussion, Jean-Marc was holding Jean-Wendy. And for some weird reason, Jean-Wendy seemed to understand what was going on. He was really smiling while slapping his father playfully in the chest. And he kept waving his left arm in the air like he had just scored a winning goal. Jean-Wendy may not be able to see or hear, but he knows.

So on Wednesday morning Edeline, Jean-Wendy, and his two siblings will take the same route as Yolanda and her mother are taking today. (Yes, Jean-Wendy will be on a tiny motorcycle also.)

Please pray for all of their safety on Haiti’s roads between here and Port-au-Prince. There is significant risk involved for all of them.

Two incredible host families in Port-au-Prince who Maria and I have known for over 15 years will be waiting for them and will take them into their homes.They will feed and bathe them and get them out of their raggedy clothes. They will provide shelter for them and protect them from the horrible dust that they have been used to breathing in all day long. And they willtake Jean-Wendy and Yolanda to their doctor appointments.

Thank you to all of you in the “cyber-world” who have expressed your support and love for Jean-Wendy and Yolanda. (And a special thanks to Maria Carroll, Karen Bultje, Hal and Chris Nungester, and Eric and Pam Rahn.)

Praying for safety and many blessings for all of them, and for you as well with the amazing work you are doing!!! Cried tears of joy reading this this morning. I have been thinking of and praying for this family ever since reading your posts about them.